Three Act Story Structure: 3 Ways to Close Your Third Act With a Bang

If Act One introduces us to your story and characters, and Act 2 is where you set and raise the tension and dramatic stakes, then Act 3 is where the narrative must seamlessly come together to end your story with closure for your characters and your audience. Every subplot, every character, every painstakingly crafted relationship and theme that you’ve pieced together; it all culminates in your third act: the grand finale. In most occasions, the third act is the shortest part of your script, but it is also the most consequential. You’ve heard the stories: Movies which have had their ending rewritten, re-shot and debated by executives and fan boys alike. Different endings tested by studios on various audiences to identify the one with the most emotional resonance and the most satisfying narrative conclusion.

The reason why endings are so important is that its what you leave your audience with; its their final impression of your script, the summation of their experience with your storytelling. It influences how people will feel as they walk out of the brightening movie theater; how they’ll talk to their friends, family and peers when they describe your work. As you can tell, sticking the landing properly is paramount, but it can also be extremely tricky. To do so, you’ll need to create a third act that feels exciting, memorable and high-stakes all at once. Here are three important tips to ensure your final act ends your film with a lasting impression.

1) Establish a Ticking Clock

One way to give your script a memorable third act is to structure it around a “ticking clock.” The conceit of the ticking clock is simple: Your hero has a limited amount of time to accomplish their goal or else. The ticking clock can function in a variety of ways: It can be the countdown to a missile launch, or the flight that will whisk your protagonist’s love interest to the other side of the world. It can be a speeding bus that must not drop below a certain speed or a runaway train on a collision course with a populated city. What a ticking clock does is underline and highlight your script’s established stakes. It creates an inherent tension because your hero only has a limited amount of time to accomplish what she or he needs to do.

The ticking clock is a tried and true method that will give your third act a sense of momentum. It has the added benefit of instantly putting your audience on the edge of their seats, since they know that your hero needs to move fast and furious in order to succeed. The ticking clock clues your audience in, letting them know that things are getting serious: if the protagonist doesn’t dismantle the missile launch system in time or make it to the airport before the love of their life boards their flight, all is lost. Employing such a narrative device will make your third act even more thrilling and keep your audience engaged until the very end.

2) Vanquish Your Antagonist in a Memorable Way

You’ve established your antagonist and shaped them into a formidable adversary to your heroes. They’ve outwitted and outpaced your protagonist at every turn, and have thrilled us along the way. Every twist and turn have been purposefully pushing the narrative towards the intense finale, the last showdown, the climactic battle between good vs evil. Now it’s time for your hero to have their day in the sun and defeat the story’s villain; the only question is how?

The “how” is essential — if your antagonist has been one of the driving forces of your story, you’ll want them to be triumphed over in an equally memorable fashion. Vanquishing your antagonist in a memorable way is another way to create an explosive third act. To do so, consider all the means you have at your disposal: Is there a chief character trait you’ve established earlier in the script that you can flip on your story’s villain? Is there a creative, cool way in which your hero can stop the bad guy?

Let’s consider the case of “Batman Begins.” In the film’s climatic scene, Batman battles Ra’s Al Ghul aboard a speeding train bound for disaster. As Batman finally overcomes Ra’s Al Ghul in physical combat, Ra’s taunts him, trying to goad Bruce Wayne into breaking his strict moral code. What’s so consequential about this moment is that it plays on a thematic thread that was well-established earlier in the film: What is Bruce willing to do to achieve his crusade against crime?

Bruce’s iconic reply (“I won’t kill you. But I don’t have to save you.”) flips Ra’s extremist tendencies against him. It not only allows Batman to find a way to defeat his nemesis, but also lends a memorable final moment to the film’s antagonist. Its an excellent primer on how to cap your third act with a dynamic, thrilling send-off to one of your script’s most important characters.

3) Acknowledge that Things Have Changed

Storytelling is, in part, about change. It tracks how experiences alter people, forcing them to adapt to come out ahead. The most compelling endings are the ones that nakedly acknowledge the change that characters go through in order to succeed: their sacrifices, their trials and their tribulations. When crafting your third act, keep in mind that change is good. Change translates to real stakes and makes your characters feel like real people.

If you want to create an ending that really sticks with your audience, you’ll want to acknowledge how the story you’ve told has changed your characters and the world they inhabit. What makes the ending of “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” so potent is that our heroes are fundamentally different after they’ve succeeded in their quest. They have a completely new outlook on life, and can’t easily return to the world they once knew. In “The Dark Knight,” Batman’s relationship to the city of Gotham and his status as a symbol is forever tainted after he accepts responsibility for several murders.

These endings resonate with us because they take into consideration the stakes and consequences of their respective scripts. This doesn’t mean your ending has to be dark; on the contrary, change can be a good thing. For example, your character, who might’ve been a loveless workaholic, might finally see the error in their ways and pursued a relationship. By using your ending to acknowledge how the events of your story has changed the way your characters operate, there’s a much greater chance that your third act will leave a lasting impression on your audience.

By keeping in mind these three simple tips, you’ll be better suited to write thrilling, exciting and explosive endings to your script that not only leave your audience content and satisfied with the story at hand, but hungry and eager to see more!